LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just three games into LeBron James' tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, they were missing two suspended starters when they faced the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.Although nobody thought James' time on the West Coast would be boring, Brandon Ingram is sorry for his role in getting this season off to a weird start.Ingram is also grateful he received only a four-game suspension for his role in the Lakers' brawl with the Houston Rockets. The normally mild-mannered forward confronted referee Jason Phillips, shoved James Harden and threw punches at Chris Paul."Well, it was better than we expected," Ingram said after the Lakers' morning shootaround. "I'm happy it's only four. But I know I've got to control my emotions a little bit better. ... I thought it would be more than four, but I'm happy that it's at least four."Rajon Rondo also began his three-game suspension two days after spitting and punching in his altercation with Paul, a longtime rival.James was a peacemaker... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Carmelo Anthony experiment in Oklahoma City didn't go well last season.The Rockets believe things will be different for the 10-time All-Star in Houston and that Anthony can be the piece stars James Harden and Chris Paul need to win the rugged West — and maybe win it all."We can win. I think he sees that, feels that," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Now it's just up to everybody (and) they're going to do whatever it takes to win."Anthony balked at the suggestion he would come off the bench for the Thunder had he stayed. He still doesn't want to talk about the possibility of a reserve role in Houston, but he seems to have made peace with playing with the second team if it means he might finally get a ring in his 16th season."At the end of the day whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, then that's what's going to be done," Anthony said.Anthony was traded to the Hawks after one tough season with the Thunder, where he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs say point guard Dejounte Murray has a torn ACL in his right knee, a major blow for the team.Murray was San Antonio's starting point guard, a role he assumed last season over longtime Spurs starter Tony Parker.Parker left as a free agent this summer, signing g with Charlotte.Murray got hurt on a drive into the lane against Houston's James Harden in the Spurs-Rockets preseason game Sunday. Murray's right knee simply appeared to give way without any contact, and he writhed in pain along the baseline after falling.An MRI on Monday confirmed the tear.He's the second Spurs guard to necessitate surgery for a knee injury this preseason. Rookie Lonnie Walker IV has a torn meniscus and will miss several weeks while recovering.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray will undergo an MRI after his right knee buckled late in the first half of San Antonio's preseason game against Houston on Sunday.Murray was driving to the basket against Rockets guard James Harden on a fastbreak when his knee gave. The third-year player remained on the court for several minutes writhing in pain. Spurs officials brought out a wheelchair to take him off the court, but Murray refused, rising to his feet amid a raucous cheer from the San Antonio fans. Murray tested his knee in front of the Spurs' bench before heading to the locker room with team officials.San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich did not have any updates on Murray's condition following the team's 108-93 loss to Houston.Murray replaced franchise stalwart Tony Parker as the team's starting point guard midway through last season.Murray's injury comes two days after Spurs rookie Lonnie Walker IV torn his right medial meniscus while attempting to cross over a Detroit defender. Walker will miss at least six weeks.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Through the first week of camp with the Houston Rockets, all indications are that Carmelo Anthony will be OK coming off the bench if that's the role coach Mike D'Antoni gives him.That doesn't mean the 10-time All-Star wants to discuss it."I don't like talking about it," Anthony said Saturday before the team's last practice at McNeese State before returning to Houston. "People always been speculating. They always speculate so I will continue not to talk about it."While Anthony, who is in his first year with the Rockets after one tumultuous season in Oklahoma City, refused to discuss whether he'll start or be a reserve, he had plenty to say about a variety of other subjects, candidly answering every other question thrown his way. He reflected on his year with the Thunder, a place where he never seemed to fit in and averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78 starts.He said he got "caught up" in outside opinions of what people believed he should do and recounted all the... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta didn't waste any time telling Carmelo Anthony why he wanted him on his team."I'll tell you exactly what I told him," Fertitta said Monday. "'We couldn't win a championship without you last year. And if we win a championship with you this year you're going to be the guy that got us over there. So, it's all up to you.'"Anthony, who joined the Rockets this offseason after one disappointing season in Oklahoma City, chuckled when asked about that phone call. He was vacationing in South Africa with his family when the phone rang, and Fertitta delivered the message."He put a lot of pressure on me," Anthony said. "I'm not even going to lie."Anthony signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Rockets in August after he was traded from the Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks in July before the Hawks released him.Fertitta and the rest of the Rockets believe that the 10-time All-Star could be the piece that will help them win their first NBA title since... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Prosecutors are reviewing allegations that Houston Rockets star James Harden took a woman's cellphone outside a Scottsdale nightclub last month.Police told The Arizona Republic that a city prosecutor is looking at their investigation.The 42-year-old woman reported that she was recording a fight Aug. 11 when Harden grabbed her by the wrist.She says he then grabbed her cellphone and threw it onto the roof.According to the police report, Harden and someone in his entourage gave her $500 to pay for a replacement.The woman was treated at a hospital for a wrist injury.Harden, who played at Arizona State University, was voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player in June.A representative for the Houston Rockets did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.

HOUSTON (AP) — Carmelo Anthony signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Houston Rockets on Monday.Anthony was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks last month before the Hawks released him.Houston general manager Daryl Morey announced the signing and the Rockets posted a picture on social media of Anthony signing his contract.The 34-year-old joins a team led by MVP James Harden and star point guard Chris Paul. The Rockets hope the addition of Anthony will help them contend for their first title since 1995. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals last season.Anthony will get a fresh start in Houston after spending last season with the Thunder, with whom he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78 games. The third overall pick in the 2003 draft has averaged 24.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists in a 15-year career that also included stints with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks.The 6-foot-8 Anthony is a 10-time All-Star and has won three gold medals in the Olympics. He is USA Basketball's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.Anthony has averaged more than 20 points every year of his career except last season and led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13, when he averaged 28.7 points a game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Carmelo Anthony signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Houston Rockets on Monday.Anthony was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks last month before the Hawks released him.Houston general manager Daryl Morey announced the signing and the Rockets posted a picture on social media of Anthony signing his contract.The 34-year-old joins a team led by MVP James Harden and star point guard Chris Paul. The Rockets hope the addition of Anthony will help them contend for their first title since 1995. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals last season.Anthony will get a fresh start in Houston after spending last season with the Thunder, with whom he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78 games. The third overall pick in the 2003 draft has averaged 24.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists in a 15-year career that also included stints with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks.The 6-foot-8 Anthony is a 10-time All-Star and has won three gold medals in the Olympics. He is USA Basketball's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.Anthony has averaged more than 20 points every year of his career except last season and led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13, when he averaged 28.7 points a game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Clint Capela has signed a five-year, $90 million extension with the Houston Rockets.Capela, who was a restricted free agent, started a career-high 74 games last season in helping Houston reach the Western Conference finals.The 6-foot-10 center averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks — all career-highs — last season. The 24-year-old had 42 double-doubles last season and Houston was 25-2 when he scored 15 or more points.Capela, who the Rockets drafted with the 25th pick in 2014, has steadily improved in his four NBA seasons and his development has helped him become a key piece of this team led by James Harden, who won his first MVP award last month.The deal was first reported by ESPN.

PHOENIX (AP) — General manager Ryan McDonough says Trevor Ariza was the first player the Phoenix Suns targeted in free agency, speaking with him and his wife via FaceTime from a car one minute after free agency began.The Suns spent virtually all of their cap space on the 14-year veteran NBA forward, who agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract. On Friday, he was introduced as the newest member of a team that believes it is close to turning the corner after years of losing."They are a young team with a lot of talent that don't know how to win," Ariza said.The 6-foot-8 forward will go from Houston, the team with the best record in the NBA last season, to the Suns, who had the worst and haven't made the playoffs in eight years."We need his defensive ability and versatility, his shooting ability," McDonough said, "but I think as much as anything, maybe more than anything, we need his leadership and his winning pedigree."When the Suns had their first interview with new coach Igor Kokoskov,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James sprung to his feet and screamed along with thousands of delirious Cleveland fans.When Indians outfielder Rajai Davis connected off Chicago Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman for a tying home run in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, James came unglued and reacted the way he might after a monstrous dunk or back-breaking 3-pointer in the NBA Finals.And while his fanatical response said a lot about James and his allegiance to the Indians, so did the tight, black T-shirt he wore on that unseasonably warm November night.It said: "Cleveland Or Nowhere."As the sports world waits to see where the three-time champion intends to play next season and beyond, there remains the real possibility that James could choose to stay in Cleveland, his hoops home for 11 of the past 15 years and where this Northeast Ohio son shares a unique and profound connection with fans who have followed him since his teens.James has other options: Los Angeles (salary-cap space... [More]

LeBron James sprung to his feet and screamed along with thousands of delirious Cleveland fans.When Indians outfielder Rajai Davis connected off Chicago Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman for a tying home run in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, James came unglued and reacted the way he might after a monstrous dunk or back-breaking 3-pointer in the NBA Finals.And while his fanatical response said a lot about James and his allegiance to the Indians, so did the tight, black T-shirt he wore on that unseasonably warm November night.It said: "Cleveland Or Nowhere."As the sports world waits to see where the three-time champion intends to play next season and beyond, there remains the real possibility that James could choose to stay in Cleveland, his hoops home for 11 of the past 15 years and where this Northeast Ohio son shares a unique and profound connection with fans who have followed him since his teens.James has other options: Los Angeles (salary-cap space for another star,... [More]

LeBron James sprung to his feet and screamed along with thousands of delirious Cleveland fans.When Indians outfielder Rajai Davis connected off Chicago Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman for a tying home run in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, James came unglued and reacted the way he might after a monstrous dunk or back-breaking 3-pointer in the NBA Finals.And while his fanatical response said a lot about James and his allegiance to the Indians, so did the tight, black T-shirt he wore on that unseasonably warm November night.It said: "Cleveland Or Nowhere."As the sports world waits to see where the three-time champion intends to play next season and beyond, there remains the real possibility that James could choose to stay in Cleveland, his hoops home for 11 of the past 15 years and where this Northeast Ohio son shares a unique and profound connection with fans who have followed him since his teens.James has other options: Los Angeles (salary-cap space for another star,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Maybe it was poetic LeBron James had a supporting cast on his injured right hand.He was missing one in the NBA Finals.For the second time in a career still ascending after 15 years, James was on the wrong side of a sweep as the Golden State Warriors, a team with no apparent weaknesses and as many as four of the league's 10 best players on its roster, transformed into a dynasty in Cleveland late Friday.After what may have been his final game with the Cavaliers, James revealed he hurt himself in a fit of frustration following a Game 1 overtime loss.He displayed a soft cast on his hand during his postgame news conference and then rounded up his children and some of their friends, and along with his wife, and the usual support group of handlers and security personnel, drove home to Akron.His next stop is unknown.Another suspenseful summer of "Where will LeBron go next?" is off and running.In the next few weeks, James is expected to decline his $35.6 million contract option... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets were up by 14 in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors when they started missing from 3-point range. They shot themselves all the way from prime position to advance to the NBA Finals to the end of a solid season.James Harden was the first to miss. Eric Gordon soon bricked one, and P.J. Tucker did the same. It was miss after miss after miss as the cold streak stretched to nine by halftime. There were 14 more in the third quarter in a surprising performance for a team that relied on the 3 all season. By the time Tucker connected with about 6 1/2 minutes left, the Rockets had missed an NBA-record 27 straight 3-pointers and the Warriors were on their way to a 101-92 victory.Though Gordon believes the result would have been different if Houston had Chris Paul for the last two games of the Western Conference finals, saying: "if he was out there, we'd have been playing on Thursday," the rest of the Rockets agreed that even the nine-time All-Star... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — When the Golden State Warriors lost Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to the Rockets on Thursday night to send them to the brink of elimination they vowed to be back in Houston for Game 7.After a resounding win in Game 6 that's exactly where the defending champions are, preparing for a winner-take-all game Monday night for a spot in the NBA Finals."It's going to be fun," Stephen Curry said. "It's what you play for, to be in a situation where you're one win away from going to the finals. Pressure both ways because of how big the moment is, and you've got to want it."The Warriors trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half Saturday night before using a splendid second half to roll to a 115-86 victory. Curry knows that if the Warriors hope to return to the finals for the fourth straight year they'll have to get off to a better start in Game 7."I guarantee if we start the game out like we did (Saturday) and they jump out to the lead, it's going to be 10 times harder... [More]